1. Breastfeeding is one of the best buys in global health to save lives and improve the health, social, and economic development of both individuals and Thailand as a nation.
Bangkok, March 31, 2017
The Role of Medical Associations in the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding

2. Medical institutions and professional organizations should play an important role in the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding

3. Physician & health staff role
Family, Workplace and
Societal pressures
Maternal Concerns
About Breastfeeding & Complementary Feeding
Maternity Staff
Relative Importance of Influence
Obstetric staff
Pediatric Staff
Pre-& Wks Wks Mo Mo >1yr
Pregnancy 3

4. Role of Medical Associations
Protection – compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent WHA recommendations
Promotion – of three key breastfeeding practices
Support – with timeline and ongoing counseling and to be successful at exclusively breastfeeding
Protection – compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent WHA recommendations to ensure mothers and families receive the most accurate information about optimal child feeding.
Promotion –
early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth
exclusive breastfeeding for six months
continued breastfeeding with complementary feeding to 2 years and beyond
Support –providing mothers and families with early and ongoing counseling and support they need to be successful at exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months, with continued breastfeeding up to 24 months.

5. Professional Associations
Adopt Global IYCF Recommendations, disseminate and advocate with members
Ensure continuing education of membership on latest nutrition guidelines
Lead on and ensure BFHI compliance, accreditation & certification in the country
No Code violations – especially sponsorships of materials and workshops
Aware of tactics of infant formula companies
Professional Associations should:
Promoting achievement and maintenance of baby friendly status by maternity hospitals, wards and clinics, consistent with the Ten steps to successful breastfeeding and the principles of not accepting free or low cost supplies of breast milk substitutes, feeding bottles and teats
Monitor members practices and compliance to code of conducts, laws and regulations protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding
Developing Stronger Policies and Laws on Infant & Young Child Feeding
in the ASEAN Region and Beyond 5

6. Alive & Thrive: partnership with medical associations
Goals:
Elevate the voices of key association leadership and spokespeople in support of IYCF and related policies, with both the media and with policy-makers.
Ensure strong and visible association commitment to promote optimal IYCF—and especially exclusive breastfeeding—and to not promote breastmilk substitutes unless medically necessary.
Leverage association networks to support adoption and implementation of national IYCF policies (e.g. BMS Code, maternity protections)

7. Bangladesh: Doctors pledge to promote IYCF best practices

8. Bangladesh OB/GYN Association: Strengthening Medical and Nursing Curricula
Steps taken:
Conduct gap analysis
Hold national advocacy meeting
Engage national medical and nursing teaching faculties to recommend revisions
Proposed revised curricula for pediatrics, OB/GYN, community medicine, and nursing
Prepare teaching tools, examination questions
Launch new curricula nationally

9. Viet Nam: Scientific Workshops on IYCF

10. Creating opportunities for champions to speak with the media and in meetings
The former president of the Viet Nam Pediatric Association speaks at the regional conference on IYCF policy change.

11. Medical Associations: Advocates with the Broader Medical Community
Direct engagement with:
Medical faculties
Schools of public health
Public and private training institutions for health workers, including midwives, nurses, nutritionists, and dieticians

12. Thank you!
This research was supported by Alive & Thrive, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the governments of Canada and Ireland. The initiative is managed by FHI 360.
We also acknowledge the support of Jack Bagriansky for sharing the methodologies and data from previous studies that were funded by UNICEF.
This study also benefited from input provided by the Ministries of Health, Departments of Health and development partners in Indonesia and health facilities and health offices in Bandung City.
Citation: Walters, D., S. Horton, A.Y.M. Siregar, P. Pitriyan, N. Hajeebhoy, R. Mathisen, P.T.H. Linh, C. Rudert. The Cost of Not Breastfeeding in Southeast Asia. Forthcoming 2016.
Additional citations include: 1.
2. World Health Organization. Global targets To improve maternal, infant and young child nutrition